'What about Lachie's? Who owns it?'
'John Lachie. Up from Glasgow. Opened the disco a year ago,' said Sanders.
'Any record?'
'Early record. Robbery with violence. Did a stretch in Barlinnie Prison. That was ten years ago. Nothing since then.'
'What sort of man is he?' asked Hamish.
'Middle-aged, likes the high life, flashy car, flashy clothes. His disco's very popular. Young people come from all over the Highlands. There's not much else for them. If Lachie's the kingpin, then it's Lachie you'll meet tomorrow night. Could be someone else we don't know about.'
'What if Lachie gets onto Jimmy White?' asked Hamish uneasily. 'What if Jimmy White says he's neffer heard of me?'
'That's something we will deal with when the time comes,' said Olivia briskly. 'You will be issued with a gadget with an alarm button. You just press it and the place will immediately be flooded with police.'
'Meaning they will be on standby in the streets round about?'
'Yes,' said Sanders.
'I don't like it,' said Hamish.
'Why?' demanded Olivia.
'If they are dealing in hard drugs, they will be alert to any sign of police surveillance.'
'The men will be in plain clothes,' said Olivia testily.
'I can tell a Strathbane copper a mile off,' said Hamish, 'and I'm sure they can, too.'
Olivia looked at him impatiently. 'Then what do you suggest?'
'I suggest we take our chances. Headquarters isn't far from Lachie's. Why can't they wait there?'
'I'll see what I can do,' said Olivia uneasily, thinking of Superintendent Daviot's enthusiasm and of the maps he had pinned up on his office wall, of the fun he had had briefing the 'troops' personally. 'Wait here.'
She went off into her bedroom and then they could hear her voice as she spoke into her mobile phone.
'Grand cake,' said Sanders, eating busily.
'Have all you like,' said Hamish, thinking the man must have a cast-iron stomach.
'Quite a looker,' said Sanders.
'Olivia? She makes me uneasy,' said Hamish. 'They should have put a man on this job.'
'She's not a token woman appointment,' said Sanders. 'She's got a reputation of being clever and tough.'
'Is herself married?'
'No, and don't get any ideas. Some detective came on to her in Glasgow and she poured boiling coffee on him where it would hurt the most.'
'She is safe from me,' said Hamish. 'I tell you this, it is the long time since I've fancied any woman.'
'Wait to you see some of the nymphets at Lachie's.'
'I am not the baby-snatcher either.'
'Hamish Macbeth, I think you're a puritan.'
'How is he a puritan?' asked Olivia, coming into the room.
'He doesn't fancy the lassies.'
'Are you gay?' asked Olivia.
'No, I am not,' said Hamish. 'I am chust that wee bit disenchanted with women. What did headquarters say?'
'They're thinking about it. You know what the trouble is? There's just too many cop shows on television and Strathbane at the moment seems to be a case of life determined to imitate art. They swear no one will be able to detect their men.'
'Oh, aye,' remarked Hamish cynically. 'I'll bet they haff the street sweeper in sort of clean-dirty clothes out on the streets when every other street sweeper has packed it in for the day. Then there will be the ice cream van that doesn't sell ice cream. Oh, and what about the window cleaner cleaning windows in the dark? And the courting couple.'
'They're looking into it,' said Olivia curtly. 'We're going ahead with this because you got us into it in the first place. I hope you are not to go on showing a lack of enthusiasm.'
'He's got a point, ma'am,' said Sanders uneasily.
'As I said, they are looking into it.'
'Well,' continued Sanders, 'what we are really looking for is a big shipment of heroin coming in. We've picked up whispers.'
'The monster,' said Hamish suddenly. 'The monster in Loch Drim.'
'What are you talking about?' demanded Olivia.
He told them about Ailsa thinking she had seen a monster. 'It could have been the light from a boat,' he said. 'Or they could have rigged up something to frighten the locals and keep them away.'
Olivia sat frowning in silence. Then she said, 'We're doing nothing this evening. We may as well drive over and have a look.'
'I'm on duty, ma'am,' said Sanders. 'Will I be expected to come with you?'
'No, that won't be necessary. We'll just have a recce.'
After Sanders had left, carrying the remains of the cake, Olivia made omelettes for them. After Hamish had washed up the dishes, she said, 'We'd better put on some dark clothes. You know the villagers there, don't you?'
'Yes, Drim is on my beat.'
'How will you explain me?'
'Monster fanatic. There's a lot of them around.'
They set out an hour later, Olivia driving. 'You know,' she said, 'I've never, ever been this far north in Scotland before.'
'No Highland holidays?'
'You know how it is, everyone goes abroad these days. Why spend a holiday in the Highlands of Scotland getting soaked to the skin when you can bask in the sunshine in Spain?'
'It's good for the complexion,' said Hamish. 'Just think of the damage the sun does to your skin.'
'And just think of the damage cold, wet weather does to your temper.'
'Aye, you could be right.'
'Tell me, Hamish, you seem to be an intelligent if unorthodox officer, and yet you're still only a policeman. Why is that?'
'I'm considered too much of a loose cannon for promotion. Besides, you've seen a wee bit of Strathbane. Would you like to work there?'
'It's not very different from Glasgow. Aren't you ambitious?'
'Not at all.'
'That's very odd.'
'I suppose it is, but it makes for a contented life. I love Lochdubh.'
'What's so special about the place?'
'It's easygoing, the people are friendly, I've got my bit of croft at the back of the police station. It's beautiful everywhere you look. If I moved to Strathbane, I'd be old before my time. I don't have to deal with any bad crime- well, not lately. The odd burglary, boundary disputes, sheep-dip papers, things like that.'
'Don't you get bored?'
'Hardly ever.'
'You're not married.'
'No,' said Hamish flatly.
'Which way now?'
'The signpost to Drim is just coming up. Make a left round the next bend.'
They made their way down the one-track winding road which led to Drim. Olivia could just make out the gleam of the sea loch. The wind had died down and everything was very still. A few lights twinkled in the cottages.
Because of the towering mountains above Drim and on either side of the loch, Olivia felt they were sinking down into complete blackness.
